Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-11-17
ABOUT CORN FODDER.
everal Methods Which Add Considerably
to Its Feeding Value.


Several Methods which Add Considerably
to Its Feeding Value.
Economy being one of the most
profita BILE virtues, it is desirable that
farmers should exercise this virtue in
the disposal of the corn fodder. 1t is
common to see the larger part of it
wasted in the manure yard, thrown
out and trampled in the mire. This is
for want of knowledge or will to
feed it properly. Prof Henry, of the
Wisconsin Experiment station, be-
lieves that 40 per cent of the fodder
is lost by feeding it whole. We think
the loss is even greater than this, and
that fully two-thirds by weight is lost
by feeding corn fodder whole, while
80 per cent of it or more is utilized by
cutting it and feeding it with meal.
This is a most important saving, for
II. as we believe, well-saved corn fod-
der is worth from IS to s. per ton
when hay is worth 50 to S12 and
more in proportion, as hay is worth
more, the loss of one-half of this
valuable feed is serious affair. Few
farmers have the true idea of the act
ual value of fodder corn, or of corn
grown for fodder, as much as fo-
grain. 1t is or may be made the chief
and can be grown for s. per ton, dry
weight Thus it is the cheapest fod-
der that can be procured.
The present method of reducing corn
stalks to a condition for feeding needs
improvement. A mere cutting leaves
the stalks in short pieces, with sharp
edges which cut the mouths of the an
imals and cause considerable pain.
The writer has found that whole
stalks, which can be chewed from end
to end, are eaten more easily than the
short, sharp-edged pieces left by the
fodder cutters. 1t is not much better
when the cutter brushes the stalks, for
the sharp edges still cut the mouth.
What is wanted is shred
der or grinder that will
reduce the stalks to fibrous
mass This may be done by means of
steel cutting plates conferred eccen-
trically. so as to slice the stalks longi-
tudinally and reduce them to shreds.
The sugar makers use shredding ma
chine consisting of drum covered
with teeth like those of circular saw,
by which the stalks are reduced to
pulp. Either of these methods would
be effective for the purpose desired,
and would add o large percentage to
the feeding value of the fodder.
Ensilage seems to be the corollary of
fol1 nd - l.,
made for the other. 1t is as easy to
grow 20 tons of corn as it is to get l
ton of timothy hay, and to grow 40
tons of it rs 2 tons of timothy. Ma
nure and cultivation only are re-
quired to produce the largest crops of
it. BY some curious metamorphosis,
not applicable by the chemists. a
large part of the nutriment contained
in the green fodder is lost in the
drying, and consequently it is desir-
able to cure it in the silo. when the
loss of available nutriment is very
little. if any at all. The result is that
if farmer grows corn for fodder he
must cure it in silo, and if he wants
a silo he must grow corn to fill it
with. No doubt the remark that farm
ers who have silos and have grown
corn to fill them with are not borrow
ing trouble about the results of the ex-
tremely dry weather which has pre-
vailed the past summer is true, and
that fodder corn and the silo are i'm
dispensable to every well-managed
farm and a great economy in the feed
ing of stock. The saving of labor over
the ordinary method of curing fodder
corn is very considerable. and will
easily pay large part of the expense
of growing the crop.-M z Times.